Know the risks, be prepared for trip

Tuesday

May 20, 2008 at 4:01 AM

Are you planning a trip abroad in the near future? Residents of Wayne and Holmes counties travel extensively overseas for business, pleasure and mission trips. There are several preventative steps travelers can take to protect their health and prevent serious disease. Some of the steps require preparation weeks before departure. The preventative steps are rooted in four basic principles:-- Some dis eases that are no longer a threat in the United States are serious problems in developing countries. -- Contaminated food and drinks are sources of infection. Typhoid fever, Hepatitis A, and travelers' diarrhea are transmitted in this manner.-- Areas with inadequate sanitation and little access to clean water can pose a serious threat to the health of travelers.-- Some countries may require proof of immunity against certain conditions.Before departure, travelers should be advised about the risk of disease in the country or countries they plan to visit and about steps to take to prevent illness. Special factors to consider include the traveler's age, gender, immunization status, medical problems, itinerary, duration and style of travel (e.g. first class, adventure, hiking, relief work).Based on the traveler's individual risk assessment, a health care professional can determine the need for immunizations and/or preventive medication (i.e. prophylaxis for malaria) and provide advice on precautions to avoid disease.Travelers should plan ahead and consult a travel medicine practitioner or physician four-eight weeks before departure in order to allow sufficient time for optimal vaccination schedules to be completed. This service is available at both the Wayne and Holmes health departments. Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to stimulate a protective immune response with the goal of preventing disease. While vaccination is a highly effective method of preventing certain infectious diseases, the protective effects of most vaccines require several weeks and may require multiple doses of the vaccine.Despite their success in preventing disease, vaccines do not fully protect 100 percent of the time. Vaccinated travelers should not assume there is no risk of contracting the disease(s) against which they have been vaccinated.Vaccines for travelers include:1. Those that are considered routine or childhood vaccines in the United States;2. Those that are mandatory for entry into the host country;3. Those that are advised due to the prevalence of disease in the host country.Pre-travel precautions should include booster doses of routine vaccines if the regular schedule has not been followed or a full course of primary immunization for people who have never been vaccinated. For more information, visit the CDC Web site: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel.International travel should be an exciting and rewarding adventure. The Wayne and Holmes health departments want to do their part to ensure your trip is not spoiled by illness. We ask you do your part and see your medical provider four-eight weeks before you travel. If you have questions or want to make an appointment, call Holmes County Health Department at 330-674-5035 or Wayne County Health Department at 330-264-9590 . Have your vaccination records on hand when you call or come in for an appointment.This column was provided by Vaughn Anderson of the Holmes County Health Department. It is one of a series of monthly columns provided by the Wayne Holmes Emergency Coalition. For more information about the Wayne/Holmes Emergency Coalition and other articles, go to the WH Emergency Coalition page of www.wayne-health.org or contact Susan Varnes, R.N., PHERC, of the Wayne-County Health Department.

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